Cast. Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy.
Rating. 70%
The Northman's trailer announces "from the visionary director Robert Eggers" and promotional posters proclaim "This generation's Gladiator." Bold claims, I would suggest.
In a storyline eliciting comparisons with Shakespeare's Hamlet, a resentful brother, Fjölnir (Claes Bang) murders the king, Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) and absconds with Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). The young Prince Amleth flees the kingdom, and he heads out into the roaring sea to the mantra,
"I will avenge you father. I will save you mother. I will kill you Fjölnir."
These words propel him into manhood and the first time we see him as an adult - a towering hulk played by Alexander Skarsgård - he is part of a barbarian tribe. The chaotic opening attack on the village in the land of Rus is spectacularly brutal as the horde marauds through the village, slaughtering men, women and children. This savage and nihilistic attack, superbly choreographed serves to remove any sympathy the audience may have for Amleth. Director, Robert Eggers makes no attempt to explain the character's motivations in terms of modern morality, or indeed judge the lead protagonist, even if he appears to be more of a violent, remorseless killer than Fjölnir ever was.
Jarin Blaschke's cinematography is stunning and the unconventional shot composition, particularly of dramatic landscapes is, at times, breathtaking. Equally, his lighting creates unease and foreboding in appropriate scenes.
But The Northman is ponderous, over-long and the last act, in particular, is a bit of a slog, complete with a frustrating false ending. The screenplay was written by Robert Eggers and acclaimed Icelandic author, Sjón who adapted the same Nordic folk tale that William Shakespeare used as a source of inspiration for Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Prince Amleth draws out his revenge to extraordinary lengths and, as a result, the final showdown in the mouth of a volcano is somewhat anti-climatic.
The Northman promises much. A monumental, blood-soaked epic of betrayal, murder, revenge and potentially, redemption. Yet, in the second half of the film, we watch the main character sneak around farm buildings and procrastinate over the confrontation he's been planning for decades. Where is the attack on the Germanic barbarians? Where is the re-enactment of the Battle of Carthage? Or the confrontation with Tigris of Gaul? The Northman is no Gladiator.
Nonetheless, The Northman is adventurous, visceral and distinctive, and for these things, Robert Eggers should be applauded.
Comments
Post a Comment